Four Character Qualities of a Leader (pt1)

Today’s blog post is obviously not a complete list of qualities a leader should have; it is however, a good place to start. What’s more, these qualities are all based on biblical principles. After reading them, let me know what you think and what other qualities you might add to the list.

Four Character Qualities of a Leader

If you are a follower of Christ; that is, a Christian, then you ARE a leader. We are called to be agents of change in the world around us. We are called to be a “life-giving” influence to those in our circle of influence. We are called to be “servant” leaders, leaders who look out for others. We are called to be leaders that are righteous and take on the character of Christ.

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. Romans 6:13 (NIV)

We are to be used by God as instruments of righteousness. But what does that mean and where do we begin? How can we be leaders that God can use as “Instruments of Righteousness”? Consider these four Qualities:

Quality 1: KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

There is a big problem in our society and our culture; people want to be who they are not. Think about it; we have make-overs, plastic surgeries, “re-inventing” ourselves, “re-branding” ourselves, fake tanning, fake body parts or surgically enhanced body parts, over-spending on clothing to impress people we don’t even like. We spend way too much time worrying what others are going to think about us. The truth is, people aren’t thinking about you. Our culture is selfish based; we tend to only think about ourselves. We worry about what others think of us and we continually change who we are to please others when we should focus on discovering who God made us to be.

Hebrews 11:24 (NASB-U)

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter…

I love this verse and the approach that Moses took. There are several things happening here:

By Faith – Moses, by faith in God decided to make a change. It’s a faith move because he is going against the cultural norm. He is going to live a life that pleases God and not the people around him. Moses is becoming a God pleaser and not a people pleaser. That would take faith.

Grown Up – this is what God is calling us to do; GROW UP. God expects us to grow up in our character. The problem is that many people in our society today view adulthood as being 18 or 21. However, adulthood doesn’t happen on a date; it’s a process. We need to “grow up” in all aspects of life (in our physical life, emotional life, intellectual life, spiritual life, financial life, relational life and in our vocational life). Have you ever seen an adult who is maxed out with credit card debt? Sure, and that person is not “grown up” financially. Have you ever seen an adult who cannot handle confrontation well? Yeah, and that person is not “grown up” relationally. Have you ever seen a person who blows up with anger or maybe the opposite cannot/refuses to cry at sad times. Again, that person in not “grown up” in their emotional life. We can go on and on, and the point is this; we need to become ADULTS in all areas of our life. Moses demonstrates this in what is said next…

Refused – Moses develops the ability to say “no” to others. Can you say “no” to others without feeling bad or guilty? When someone important in your life asks you for a favor and you really don’t have the time to do it, can you say; “no, I cannot help you this time maybe next time.” Can you say that, can you say no and not feel guilty? If you cannot, you have not GROWN UP in this part of your character.

To Be Called Son of Pharaoh – If you know the Moses story, you know he grew up in the household of Pharaoh. And it would be no surprise to see that the culture of the Egyptians shaped much of who Moses was. However, at his core, Moses was not Egyptian. He was called by God to complete his God given purpose. For Moses to complete his purpose he had to declare who he was and who he was not. Being called the Son of Pharaoh’s daughter would have huge benefits – Moses realized that to grow up he needed to give that Fake Title up and accept who God created him to be.

John 13:3-5 (NASB-U)

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God… got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet…

As a Christian, we are called to be humble/servant leaders. Therefore, the first quality of a leader is to “grow up” and Know Who We Are. Who are you? Better question is; who has God called, designed, equipped you to be? Also, where are you spending your time and money? Becoming someone you are not or developing the person God called you to be? The first will only frustrate you while pursuing God’s call will bring life fulfillment.

Israel Tour

“In February 2017, my wife and I took a trip to Israel through our church, organized by Terry Porter. He did a phenomenal job with planning — getting us there and back and, of course, everything in between. Touring and exploring the country was awesome, and for every place we visited, he would reference the Bible, bringing it more to life! Terry is a man excited about teaching and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout the time I have known him, his love and humility have grown deeper and is reflected in his maturity.”

Peter Bump

Testimonial

2018-11-19T22:56:39-05:00

Peter Bump

“In February 2017, my wife and I took a trip to Israel through our church, organized by Terry Porter. He did a phenomenal job with planning — getting us there and back and, of course, everything in between. Touring and exploring the country was awesome, and for every place we visited, he would reference the Bible, bringing it more to life! Terry is a man excited about teaching and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout the time I have known him, his love and humility have grown deeper and is reflected in his maturity.”

https://terry-porter.com/testimonials/1641/

Church Connection

Terry came in and spoke directly to the heart of our church, clarifying biblical and healthy instructions to carry loads weighing us down. His candor, common sense, and demeanor help you realize that just because you are broken, you are not broke, healing can be found and spiritual health can be restored. Terry challenged, encouraged, and provided directional hope to living a God-honoring life once again.

Terry came in and spoke directly to the heart of our church, clarifying biblical and healthy instructions to carry loads weighing us down. His candor, common sense, and demeanor help you realize that just because you are broken, you are not broke, healing can be found and spiritual health can be restored. Terry challenged, encouraged, and provided directional hope to living a God-honoring life once again.

https://terry-porter.com/testimonials/1656/

Church Connections

Engaging. Sympathetic. Wise. That is how Terry impacted me and other men who recently listened as he shared his journey through life. Having hiked through valleys of adversity and failure, Terry has a unique ability to connect with the hearts of others. Every man received useful insight into life and how we can practically live out our Christian faith. I highly recommend Terry for groups of any size.

Engaging. Sympathetic. Wise. That is how Terry impacted me and other men who recently listened as he shared his journey through life. Having hiked through valleys of adversity and failure, Terry has a unique ability to connect with the hearts of others. Every man received useful insight into life and how we can practically live out our Christian faith. I highly recommend Terry for groups of any size.

https://terry-porter.com/testimonials/church-connections/

Coaching

Terry has the depth of character rarely seen in coaches. His ability to relate and build trust is on par with his ability to help guide people to where they need to go. Moreover, his holistic approach means that his clients feel whole with momentum to make the amazing changes in their life.

Kelly Duro of Amazing Resolve

Testimonial

2020-05-04T10:05:25-04:00

Kelly Duro of Amazing Resolve

Terry has the depth of character rarely seen in coaches. His ability to relate and build trust is on par with his ability to help guide people to where they need to go. Moreover, his holistic approach means that his clients feel whole with momentum to make the amazing changes in their life.

https://terry-porter.com/testimonials/coaching/

Relationship & Marriage Consulting

The time spent with Terry and his Health from the Inside Out philosophy has been significant and life changing. The videos, tools, and resources; along with Terry's guidance throughout our sessions have been insightful, helpful and valuable. We have grown in our personal, mental and relational health. Terry has given us tools to use in our communication with one another that have made us aware of how our words, actions or lack of actions, have affected each other in the past and how to avoid negative habits long formed. Thank You Terry.

Amy

Testimonial

2018-11-20T11:53:46-05:00

Amy

The time spent with Terry and his Health from the Inside Out philosophy has been significant and life changing. The videos, tools, and resources; along with Terry's guidance throughout our sessions have been insightful, helpful and valuable. We have grown in our personal, mental and relational health. Terry has given us tools to use in our communication with one another that have made us aware of how our words, actions or lack of actions, have affected each other in the past and how to avoid negative habits long formed. Thank You Terry.